Steam-locomotive lighting system



STEAM LOCOMOTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 11, 1920 a? 37 k 40 .39 A 6 J4 51 13 M J3 awoewtoz wcww a W @51 M abliomm WWW til

Patented July 10, 19230 when Parana OFFICE,

ALEXANDER MCGAREQQL? NEW HERE, ll. Y.

STEAIE-LUCQIL'UTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Application filed February 11, 19:20. Serial Ito. 357,898.

To aZZ whom it may comer m:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER ll/lCGARY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Locomotive Lighting Systems, of which the following is 'a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam locomotive lighting systems.

Trials have been made in the lighting of steam locomotives by electricity, that is, providing electric headlights, cab li hts, and signal lights therefor, supplied eifiier from an alternating current generator or from a direct current generator or storage ba carried somewhere on the train. as will be readily understood the headlights are of considerable size in order to give the neces sary light, whilethe cab lights and signal lights are preferably of relatively small can dle power and consume relatively lit-l e energy. In order to get the necessary power for the electric headlights, it has been found expedient to use a relatively high voltage and when the cab lights and signal lights on the locomotive are supplied from such voltage, it is found that their design is such, especiall when using the tungsten form of lamp that the excessive vibration of the locomotive causes frequent breakage whichnot only entails great expense in replacement but also the danger of failure of signals at critical times. I have found, however, that by introducing step-down transformer in such systems, the headlights may st l supplied at relatively high voltage and the cab lights and signal lights supplied at rela tively low voltage through the transformer and such low voltage lamps are far less liable to breakage and failure under the excessive vibration.

,My invention will be more clearly understood from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompany ing drawing which is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of my improvements.

Referring to the drawings 1 represents the slip rings of an alternating current generator carried on and driven by steam from the locomotive by means of any suitable form of turbine or other means. 2 represe ts headlight connected to one terminal or the generator through the conductors 3 and l and to the other terminal of the generator 1 ttery' through conductor 5, switch 6, contact 7, conductor 8 and conductor 9. In the case a switching locomotive it may be desirable to provide a rear headlight 10, one side of which may be connected to one term al of the generator 1 through conductors l and the other side of which may he connected to the other terminal of the generator through conductor 12, switch 18, contact 1 and conductor 9. rfiso connected to the generator 1 in parallel with the headlights is a step down transformer 15. 16 and rep resent front signal lights and 17 front engine number lights and these are adapted to be connected across the secondary the transformer 15 through the conductors 18, 19, 20, 21 and switch 22 so that they may be supplied from the generator through the transformer at relatively low voltage, 25 represents a firemans light, sea. water light, 27 a steam gauge light, 28 a lubricat ing. light and 29 an engineers light, the last 10111 lights being located in the cab and being what 1 term cab lights. Theseare adapted to be connected across the transformer 15 through conductors 30, 18, 19, 81, switch 32 and conductor 21 so that they likewise may be supplied by the generator through the transformer at relatively low voltage. 33, 83 represent rear signal lights and 3d a rear engine number light, which are adapted to be connected across the secondary of the transformer through conductors 18, 19, 35, switch 36 and conductor 21 to be supplied from the generator through the transformer at relatively low voltage.

It is sometimes desirable that the headlights be dimmed as when passing other trains in certain locations, and 1, therefore, provide resistances 37 and 38 connected to the contacts 1 1- and 7, respectively and with their opposite terminals connected to contacts 39 and a0 respectively so that when the switch 6 is thrown to contact 40 resistance 38 will be thrown in series with the headlight 2 and cause a dimming thereof and when the switch 13 is thrown to contact 39 the resistance 37 will be thrown in se cs with the rear headlight 10 and cause a dimming thereof. For this purpose the resistances 37 and 38 may be chosen so as to reduce the voltage applied to the headlights or less. or cei lain practical reasons it has been found desirable to use voltages of about 32 volts or about 6% volts for the headlights, and 1, therefore, preferably use mil a generator having a generator voltage of either about 32 volts or about 64 volts which is used for supplying the headlights. But as I have above pointed out lamps of small capacity such as should be used for the other lights described, when designed for 32 or 64 volts are very liable to breakage under the excessive vibrations which occur on the locomotive, and I, therefore, introduce the step-down transformer 15 and I preferably reduce the voltage applied to these lights thereby to about 8 volts; And I find that low capacityflamps designed for such low voltage are far less liable to breakage under the conditions of vibration on the locomotive thereby not only requiring less expense in the way of renewals, but also less likelihood of failure of signal light-s at critical times.

If it is desired to dim the headlights still more or still further decrease the current flowing therethrough for other reasons, I proyide contacts and 51 to which the switches 13 and 6 may be thrown respectively, which contacts 50 and 51 are connected by the conductor 52 and to one side of the secondary of the transformerthrough conductor 52. The other side of the secondary of the transformer is connected to one side of the headlight through conductor 19 and 54 so that when the switch 6 is thrown to contact 51 it will be connected across the secondary of the transformer 15 and sup plied thereby at about 8 volts and when the switch 13 is thrown to contact 50 it will be supplied through the transformer 15 at about 8 volts.

While I have described my invention in great detail and with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, I do not desire to be limited to such detail and embodiments since many changes and modifications may be made and the improvements embodied in widely difierent forms without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A steam locomotive lighting system having in combination an alternating cur- 'dim the same.

2. A steam locomotive lighting system having in combination an alternating current generator, a head light on the locomotive supplied with alternating current, from said generator at relatively high voltage, a transformer also connected to be supplied by said generator, and cab lights on the locomotive connected to be supplied with alternating current from said transformer at relati 'ely low voltage, and means whereby said headlight may be supplied at relatively low voltage from said transformer to dim the same.

8. A steam locomotive lighting system having in combination an alternating'currentgenerator, a head light on the locomotive supplied with alternating current from said generator at relatively high voltage, a transformer also connected to be supplied by said generator, and cab lights on the locomotive connected to be supplied with alternating current from said transformer at relatively low voltage, and means whereby said headlight may be connected to be supplied by said generator through said transformer at relatively low voltage.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 10th day of February, A. D. 1920.

ALEXANDER MCGARY. 

